High School Romance
by kohana101
Summary: Sesshomaru has never had a girlfriend before, and Inuyasha never lets him forget it. But then a new student transfers to his school, and his life changes dramatically...R&R!
1. The New Girl

**Chapter 1.**

"Hey Sesshy, my man!" shouted Jaken, running over to his friend. Sesshomaru looked down at the short teenager.

"Sup dude" he responded, punching Jaken in the shoulder.

Takatori High was alive with students, rushing to classes and socializing with their friends. It was the start of a new year, and rumor had it that some hot chick had transferred to their school. Sesshomaru was eager to meet this girl.

"Any word of the new kid?" he asked Jaken.

"Nah. Everyone's too preoccupied with studies and shit. No one cares."

Sesshomaru sighed, and headed off to his locker. _Too bad_ he thought, pushing through swarms of people that blocked the hallways. He never had a girlfriend before, which seemed surprising since he was such a sexy guy. Nevertheless, it was his attitude toward the opposite sex that left him single. As Sesshomaru approached locker number 76, he noticed a head of long and beautiful black hair. It fell down the back of a slender body, to which was attached a nice ass. Or at least he believed so. Sesshomaru sided up next to the girl, fooling with a lock that wasn't his.

"Hey…" he said, trying his best to act casual. When she didn't answer or look up, Sesshomaru continued to speak.

"So…what's your name?"

"Kikyo" she said hastily, shoving books into her already stuffed bag.

"Cool. I mean, great. Actually it's awesome. No wait, I change my mind…." While Sesshomaru stumbled with his words, Kikyo swung the bag over her shoulder and brushed past him. He watched her go, feeling like a total failure.

"Ouch" said a voice, teasingly. Sesshomaru turned around, only to face the most obnoxious kid at school: his brother. Inuyasha snickered, and his annoying friends chimed in. The only one who stayed silent was Kagome, who didn't believe in hurting people's feelings.

"Shut the hell up" Sesshomaru growled. It was always humiliating to get teased by a younger sibling.

"Shut the hell up" Inuyasha imitated in a girlie voice. They all broke into laughter.

_I'm outta here!_ Sesshomaru thought, not able to stand this nonsense. He hurried away quickly to keep himself from punching a hole through his brother's stomach and getting suspended for it.

After school, Sesshomaru was walking home when he saw Kikyo again. She was waiting at the bus stop by herself. He casually strolled over, sitting down on the bench beside her.

"What a beautiful day" he said, even though it was 100 degrees out and he was sweating like a pig.

Kikyo paid no attention to him. He glanced in her direction, and realized how short her skirt was. _Nice legs_ he mused. He was about to think up another conversation starter when the bus came. Before getting up, Kikyo slipped Sesshomaru a crumpled piece of paper. She then hurried inside, the doors shutting immediately behind her. Sesshomaru picked up the paper and unfolded it anxiously. Written in neat handwriting was a phone number. Sesshomaru grinned and walked to his car, thinking what a lucky guy he was.

He got home soon after Inuyasha, who had been mingling after school with Kagome. Sesshomaru went straight to his room and locked the door. He was determined to contact Kikyo and get himself a date, because obviously if she had given him her number then she must like him. Sesshomaru grabbed the cordless phone from the receiver and dialed the number on the piece of paper. But the voice that picked up at the other line was not that of Kikyo's; it sounded more like a machine recording.

"Sorry, but you have been rejected. If you would like to talk to others just like you, please press one…."

Sesshomaru slammed down the phone. _The reject hotline?_ _I finally get a girl's phone number and it's the reject hotline? Damn, she's one sly little bitch._ Thoroughly humiliated, he ripped up the paper with his sharp claws and threw the shreds out his bedroom window. The wind carried them off down the street, and then they disappeared out of sight. Unexpectedly, the evil side of Sesshomaru's conscience appeared on his shoulder in the form of a devil.

"She is dead! No, worse then dead! How dare she reject you!" it said crossly.

An angel poofed onto Sesshomaru's other shoulder, laughing hysterically.

"Quiet!" hissed the devil, pointing a menacing staff at the angel. Sesshomaru looked from one side to the other, trying to figure out what was going on.

"That was just great!" the angel laughed, trying to catch its breath. "Man, and I thought girls were stupid!"

"Girls are stupid" retorted the devil, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, but I mean, the reject hotline? Who woulda come up with that!" said the angel, bursting into laughter again.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sesshomaru interrupted.

Before the devil or angel could answer, there came a knock on the door. Both of them immediately vanished. The door creaked open, and someone walked in. To Sesshomaru's surprise, it was Kikyo. She stood only a few feet away, leaning against the wall. He blinked a few times and stared, not believing that Kikyo was in his house (not to mention his room!). After a moment of silence, she pushed off the wall and walked towards Sesshomaru. Without a single word, their lips met. Sesshomaru felt a shiver down his spine as they kissed, much to his delight. It seemed almost unreal; the two of them alone in his room, making out after only just meeting each other. His moment of bliss abruptly ended, however, when he fell out of bed and slammed into the hard wood floor. Sesshomaru groaned and got up. When he glanced at his alarm clock, it said 8:30. _Crap! I must've conked out!_ He was already late for school, all because of a dream that went overtime. But it was the best dream that Sesshomaru had had since the one where he beat the hell out of Inuyasha. He raced around the room, shoving on his school uniform and grabbing his backpack.

"Hey Sesshy, where were you first period?" Jaken questioned as they walked down the crowded corridors.

"Just ah, overslept" Sesshomaru replied quickly.

"Well, I've got some news about that new girl" Jaken informed.

"Oh? Good or bad?"

"Both. The good part is that I found out her name. It's Kikyo."

Sesshomaru choked on his gum at the mention of Kikyo's name. His cheeks flushed bright pink and he looked away. _Kikyo is the transfer student!_

"Dude, you alright?" Jaken asked, poking his friend in the stomach. Sesshomaru shook all thoughts out of his head and smiled.

"Yeah."

"Okay, well here's the bad part. The reason she transferred is because her dad went to jail and her mom's a druggie. She has a friend she can live with here, and their house is conveniently close to Takatori High."

A bunch of questions popped into Sesshomaru's mind, but he decided not to overwhelm Jaken (since he probably didn't know half the answers). Wearily, he split off from Jaken and headed solo to the gym for second period.

PE was no less interesting than Sesshomaru's dream had been the other night. Kikyo happened to be in his class…no surprise there. She was sitting across the gym, talking cheerfully with a friend. Her gym skirt was pulled up so far that it barely covered her thighs, and the shirt stuck to her chest like glue. Sesshomaru was still staring at Kikyo when Kiyoshi-sensee started taking attendance. When Kikyo suddenly noticed the pair of eyes lingering over her cleavage, she made a hasty exit to the bathroom.

"You there! Take a seat" Kiyoshi-sensee ordered Sesshomaru. He sat down apathetically, fighting back a grin.

After attendance, Kiyoshi started rambling on about the techniques of karate, the history, blah blah blah. Sesshomaru wasn't paying any attention; just thinking about Kikyo. It wasn't until the teacher said the word 'partners' that his ears perked up. Apparently they were supposed to choose a buddy to work with throughout the semester. Sesshomaru knew who he wanted, but was doubtful that she would agree. Kiyoshi-sensee looked around at his students, none of which were moving. The gym was deathly quiet, like a cemetery.

"I guess you guys aren't familiar with each other yet. Very well, I shall assign partners" he said, taking out the roll sheet. Everything went as if destiny was in control, because Sesshomaru and Kikyo ended up together.

"Alright" Kiyoshi said. "Now get to work."

The silence was broken as students shuffled around, finding their partners and starting to practice. It was an awkward situation for Sesshomaru, because Kikyo still hadn't returned from the bathroom and he looked retarded standing by himself. Kiyoshi saw this walked over amid the punching and kicking.

"Where's your partner?" he asked.

"In the bathroom, sir."

"Why is that?"

Sesshomaru shrugged. "Maybe she's constipated."

Kiyoshi-sensee gave him a weird look, but made no comment. He looked out at the class, and noticed another boy without a partner. "Work with that guy" he said, pointing with a yardstick. Sesshomaru's heart dropped into his stomach. _Noooo! That was my chance to be with Kikyo! Why did you have to mess with it?_ his mind cried out. Sesshomaru headed over to the guy grudgingly, bowed, and made a few lame kicks. It was torture to see Kikyo come out of the restroom right after he had been switched. She headed over to Kiyoshi-sensee, who worked with her himself since there was no one else available. Sesshomaru knew he would never stop beating himself up about it. _Do I even have a chance with this woman? _

**It's one of those to be continued things…plz review!**


	2. Mr Nice Guy

**Chapter 2**

The school campus was quite empty by the time Sesshomaru left Chemistry. He always had trouble with chemical equations, and had to stay back a while to get help from the teacher. Sesshomaru's brain was stuffed so full of numbers and elements that he failed to notice that Kikyo's car had broken down. _So if you have carbon dioxide plus water equals glucose plus oxygen, to balance it you have to add six to the carbon…_

Sesshomaru's train of thought flew right off the tracks when he finally realized Kikyo was there in the empty parking lot. She had her back to him, and there was a cloud of hazy smoke rising from under the hood of her blue Ford convertible. Without hesitation, Sesshomaru approached Kikyo and tapped her lightly on the shoulder. She whirled around, slightly freaked out. When she saw that it was Sesshomaru, she shot him an angry glare and turned back to her work.

"Hey, do you need help with that?" he offered kindly.

Kikyo ignored him and continued to fumble with the pipes. It was obvious that she had no idea what she was doing. Not questioning any further, Sesshomaru gently nudged her aside and took a look himself. He had lots of experience with cars since he worked with his uncle who was a mechanic. _Let's see…this goes here, that should be screwed on tighter…there's a leak in this tube, better get it fixed…_

He worked fervently for ten minutes straight, and when he finally finished there was oil and soot smeared all over his hands and jeans. Kikyo was now staring at him attentively, as though she was expecting him to perform another miracle. Sesshomaru's heart was beating so violently in his chest that he thought it would explode. Nevertheless, he kept a straight face and even managed to fake a grin.

"This beauty is good as new" he said, trying his best to stay calm.

Kikyo brushed past him and inspected his work, even though she didn't know enough about cars to correct anything. "Um…thanks" she muttered hastily. In two seconds time she zipped into the driver's seat and backed out of her spot. As she drove away, Sesshomaru could've sworn that he saw traces of a smile of her lips.

Sesshomaru had a pleasant ride home after the incident. He couldn't help feeling proud of himself for it. _Now she'll respect me _he thought gleefully. But he was wrong. The next day Kikyo disregarded him even more, as if nothing had happened the day before. This frustrated Sesshomaru, seeing as the effort he put into impressing her was wasted. He brought up the topic during lunch while eating with Jaken and his other close friends.

"Have you ever tried to impress a girl, and then they give you the cold shoulder?" he asked, digging into the rice on his tray.

Jaken laughed, revealing some half-chewed food on his tongue. "Dude! Any normal guy has acted like a fool in front of a girl. I'd be surprised if there was someone out there that hasn't."

Sesshomaru grinned sheepishly, feeling a bit of color flush his cheeks.

"Besides" Jaken continued. "Getting a girlfriend is like fishing. Sometimes they can sneak away with the bait without getting snagged."

"But then how do you make sure they don't?" Sesshomaru responded, puzzled.

"You gotta act quickly, you see. Make a move and go for it. Don't just sit back and expect the fish to catch itself."

Sesshomaru contemplated this as he chewed on a piece of chicken that had the consistency of rubber. It was time to take things a step further if he really wanted a girlfriend.

Jaken studied his friend's face curiously. "Hey, what's up with you?"

Sesshomaru shook his head and stared down at his chopsticks. "It's nothing. Just thinking."

"You got a girl in mind?" Jaken persisted, his curiosity growing.

"What?"

"Oh come on! Don't try to deny it. I know you're up to something."

Sesshomaru didn't like where this conversation was going. He wasn't about to tell Jaken what was going on, because he had a big ass mouth and would announce it to the whole school. Instead, Sesshomaru tried to change the subject.

"I bet the school gets its food from the tire store" he said, still gnawing on the same piece of chicken.

"Don't change the subject!" Jaken insisted. "If you're uncomfortable telling me, then say so. I won't get mad."

A small wave of relief washed over Sesshomaru. He was never good at lying, and knowing that Jaken wasn't going to press him further for answers he let down his guard.

Just then the bell rang, and he was off to PE. When he got to the gym, he scanned the area for Kikyo. She was no where to be seen. With a sigh, Sesshomaru plopped down for attendance. Luckily, the guy he was working with the other day wasn't there either. This sparked a bit of hope in Sesshomaru.

"Alright" said Kiyoshi-sensee, standing on a large blue mat he had set up in the middle of the floor. "Hopefully you all practiced yesterday, so today you should be ready to fight seriously."

The class moaned, and Kiyoshi gave everyone a stern look. "Karate is the key to protecting yourself in threatening situations. It's very important to learn. Now, I need two volunteers."

Kiyoshi-sensee spotted Sesshomaru and called him up to the front. "And his opponent?" he asked.

A door opened and slammed noisily behind them, and a voice replied, "That would be me."

Kikyo walked over and took her stance in front of Sesshomaru, much to his surprise. His stomach did a somersault at the sight of her.

"Very good. Now, remember to start off with a bow..."

Sesshomaru and Kikyo bowed deeply to one another. But while Kikyo aimed her eyes towards the floor, Sesshomaru kept his locked on her face.

"…and let the match begin."

Kikyo wasted no time, and lunged at Sesshomaru almost eagerly. Afraid of hurting her, he decided to go easy. But after a couple minutes of being slammed continuously into the mat, he decided that it was fairly unnecessary. Even when he put more effort into it, Kikyo was too fast for him. She grabbed his arms and flipped him over her shoulder, then wrestled him on the floor. Their faces were inches apart; Sesshomaru heard her panting as he struggled for breath as well. Her sleek black hair, tied up in a high ponytail, brushed against his skin as she dug her fingers into his shoulders. Despite the slight pain, Sesshomaru was enjoying himself. Especially since her body was pressed against his. Kikyo on the other hand, narrowed her eyebrows and looked very determined to beat the crap outta him.

"You're….quite good" Sesshomaru commented in between pants.

"Don't underestimate a girl" she smirked.

They began to lose track of time, and just as Kikyo was about to drag Sesshomaru up for another slam, Kiyoshi-sensee had to break them apart. Half of the period had already gone by.

"Okay, that's enough" he said. Kikyo felt like she was leaving unfinished business, but got up nonetheless. Sesshomaru stood up after her, feeling a grin spread across his face. It wasn't the way he imagined this would happen, but it still satisfied him to know that they had made intimate body contact. He was humming a happy tune throughout the next two periods, and he wondered why the people in neighboring desks were scowling. On the way out of Calculus, Sesshomaru caught sight of a brightly colored flyer attached to the bulletin board. His eyes skimmed the headline, and he was immediately interested. It read:

_Juniors and Seniors of Takatori High School! Don't miss the Halloween dance going on October 31st. Put on a costume and dance all night long! Student id is required. 500 yen per person. If you care, be there!_

It was like New Years fireworks going off inside of him. Somehow, he would get Kikyo to go with him. If only he could perform miracles….

Sesshomaru was barely paying attention to Naoko-sensee in Chemistry; he saw her gesturing towards the periodic table of elements with a yardstick, but wasn't listening to her. His mind was concentrated on matters of utmost importance (but not really). He could imagine exactly how it would go down: he would dress up as a vampire and pick up Kikyo, who would be wearing a sexy netted outfit. They would dance until midnight….they're faces would move closer…they'd kiss romantically…

"So Sesshomaru? What's the atomic number for Iron?" Naoko asked, her voice suddenly penetrating his deep thoughts. Sesshomaru's mind was as blank as his paper, which was supposed to be covered with notes. "Come on, we worked on this yesterday."

He squinted at the periodic table, trying to make out the number in the top left corner of the box labeled 'Iron.' But his desk was too far back in the classroom, and he forgot to put in his contacts. Bewildered, he guessed the first number that came to mind. "Um…30?"

Naoko-sensee shook her head in dismay and sighed, obviously displeased with the progress he was making in her class. Sesshomaru was barely holding on to a D. "That is far from right. Can anyone else tell me what the correct answer is?" Naoko questioned.

A hand shot up in the front of the class. It was the smart one, Akiko. She knew anything and everything; considering the fact that she studied 24 hours a day to cram as much knowledge as humanly possible into her abnormally large brain. She was like a sponge the size of Asia that could soak up oceans of information at a time. Naoko did not hesitate to call on her.

"The atomic number for Iron is 26" she said, almost robotically.

"That is absolutely right. Iron is a transition metal, and is grouped with other elements you probably recognize like cobalt, nickel, copper…"

From then on, Naoko's voice became a subtle drone as Sesshomaru's thoughts trailed back to Kikyo.


	3. Rejected

**Chapter 3**

The weekend came sooner than Sesshomaru expected. Which meant the Halloween dance was that much closer. He was sitting at home, sipping a cola and watching TV when Inuyasha came into the room. He plopped down next to Sesshomaru on the couch and stole the remote.

"What the hell!" Sesshomaru said angrily as his brother changed the channel to a dumb reality show. "You are so freakin annoying sometimes…"

"Hey, what are little bro's for? Besides, don't you think you've outgrown Yu-Gi-Oh?" Inuyasha sneered.

Sesshomaru scowled and got up, not wanting to talk to him anymore. But before he could leave the room, Inuyasha threw him an unexpected question. "You got a date for the dance coming up?"

"Do you?" Sesshomaru asked, deflecting the question back at Inuyasha.

"Of course. Me and Kagome have been dating since last year. Anyway, I understand if you don't have a girl. I mean, who could like a man with such a hideous face?"

Sesshomaru turned around swiftly and tackled Inuyasha with a pillow.

"Ack! Get offa me!" Inuyasha shouted, though his voice was muffled. They punched and kicked each other for what seemed like hours, which really only ended up being a few minutes. They stopped only when the doorbell rang, and Inuyasha sprang to his feet to go answer it. The door opened, and Kagome walked in. She gave her boyfriend a quick kiss on the lips and then he led her inside. Sesshomaru had never been jealous, but now he couldn't help feeling that way. He would have to do everything he could to get Kikyo.

That night he lay in bed awake, writing in his journal.

_There's this hot chick at my school that I'm trying to ask out, but so far she has shown no interest in me. What have I done wrong? I fixed her car, and the next day she beats me up in karate. Not that I minded…hehe. Yeah, I'm just being stupid. Dunno what's up with her. Heard from Jaken that she's got serious family problems. Maybe it's affecting her negatively. Whatever! If she's sad, then she should take advantage of me! A boyfriend could make her life a whole lot happier…I would make sure of that!_

With a sigh, Sesshomaru closed the notebook and shoved it under his bed. He closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep, but there was too much on his mind. The entire night was spent in a fitful sleep, and he didn't even have so much as one good dream. Sesshomaru was so tired the next morning that he didn't get up until ten minutes before school was to start. Only after Inuyasha came traipsing into his room, he forced himself out of bed grudgingly. The day went by so slowly that Sesshomaru felt like each period was four hours long. When lunch finally came, he decided it was time to ask Kikyo. He didn't bother waiting in the long line for food at the cafeteria. Instead he went straight to the tables, scouting for Kikyo. She wasn't hard to spot; she was sitting in a far corner with her friend. Sesshomaru took a deep breath and walked over, trying to act as casual as possible. She didn't even look up when he sat down beside her. But she couldn't ignore him because her friend was staring. Without averting her eyes from the food she was eating, Kikyo spoke quietly.

"What do you want?"

Sesshomaru glanced uncomfortably at her friend, who was gaping in awe at him.

"Uh….I was just wondering if…ifyouwantedtogotothedancewithme" he said, so fast that you could barely understand. But Kikyo heard him perfectly.

"I'm already going with someone else" she said hastily.

The words struck Sesshomaru like knives in his chest, and slowly sank into his broken heart. "Right….well, never mind then" he said.

The friend was still gazing dreamily at Sesshomaru, and he got up quickly before she could say anything. Jaken had been watching from another table, and patted his friend on the back as he walked over. "Nice try Sesshy. But it looks like another fisherman got to her first."

Sesshomaru sat down and sulked. He was almost sure she was going to say yes!

"You know, life's not fair. Fish don't always get hooked on the right line. Just accept it and move on! There's no point in moping about it" Jaken said. "Heck, I was rejected plenty of times before Yumi came into my life."

This wasn't helping at all. Sesshomaru's heart was still painfully bleeding from the last blow he received, and Jaken's fish analogy wasn't helping. How much bait was he going to need to draw in Kikyo? And why were there other men fishing in the same pond? Sesshomaru contemplated this throughout the rest of school, which ended after lunch because it was teacher work day. As he was heading out the front doors ofTakatori High, Naraku and Muso caught up with him.

"Hey Sesshomaru" said Naraku. "I thought you might want to hang out with us this afternoon. We're going to the arcade."

"Yeah" Muso chimed in, grinning. Sesshomaru thought about it for a while, then decided it would be a good way of getting Kikyo off his mind. With a cheerful nod, the threesome turned the corner and headed to the arcade. Sesshomaru's favorite game there was "Sniper." He had perfect aim, and had beaten it many times. So obviously, that was the thing he played first. Muso and Naraku followed him to watch.

"Whoa, dude! You rock at this game" Naraku mused.

"Practice makes perfect" Sesshomaru replied. He pulled the trigger and shot a guy in the head. Blood splattered against the screen and then disappeared. Another burglar caught his eye, and he shot him too with startling precision.

"You must come here a lot" said Muso, looking impressed. "Well, do you?"

But Sesshomaru wasn't paying attention anymore…he had just spotted Kikyo on the dance dance revolution (ddr) machine. She was quite good.

"Uh…hey dude, you're getting shot like hell" Muso said.

Sesshomaru lowered his gun, his eyes still glued to Kikyo. "I'll be right back" he said hastily. Naraku took over for him, but wasn't nearly as good and got a game over within seconds. Sesshomaru had no idea why he was doing this, especially since Kikyo had rejected him, but he couldn't resist her. And she was wearing the sexy skirt again. He made sure to stay out of sight, but continued to steal glances at her whenever she wasn't looking. Most of the time she was concentrating on the dancing, but in between songs she would rest and turn her head away from the screen. Muso sided up next to him unexpectedly, startling Sesshomaru out of his trance.

"Whatcha lookin at?" he asked, staring in the same direction. Sesshomaru didn't answer. Then Muso spotted Kikyo and smiled broadly. "See that girl doing ddr? She's really cute. But definitely not one of those wimpy girls. Her body is built like a man's, only more slender. Lucky for me I get to take her to the dance."

Sesshomaru's jaw dropped. _Muso is Kikyo's date? Geez, she has really bad taste in guys! To go with that sleeze ball and not with sexy me?_ Sesshomaru knew he was being conceited, but the fact of the matter was simple; Muso was ugly beyond belief. Okay, maybe he had a few charming characteristics. But they just didn't compare! To make things worse, Muso left Sesshomaru's side and walked over to Kikyo. They talked for a moment, then hugged (to Sesshomaru's disgust), and then they left the arcade hand-in-hand. If Sesshomaru's heart could break any further, it would've done so just then. Mr. Hideous Face had just walked away with the hottest girl in school!

"You okay bro?" said a voice behind him. Naraku was standing behind him with an expression of fake sympathy. Sesshomaru just brushed past him, refusing to speak. He had never felt this much of a failure before. Gradually his sorrow turned into anger, and as he left the arcade, he decided it was time to give Kikyo a taste of her own medicine. Sesshomaru was going to find himself a date and make her regret the day she accepted Muso's proposal.

**Next: Not quite a dream date…**


	4. A Not So Dream Date

**Note: Sorry it took so long for me to update this fanfic! You probably thought I was never going to continue it…don't worry. I always write more, even if it takes me 4ever!**

**Chapter 4**

"Can anyone come up and answer this problem? Or do I need to call on someone?" asked Uchiro-sensee in math the next day.

A hand shot up in the front of the classroom, no doubt Akiko's, and Uchiro immediately called on her. She strode to the whiteboard and began scribbling down a bunch of numbers and equations.

"She's so nerdy I bet no one is going to ask her to the Halloween dance" whispered a guy behind Sesshomaru. It was a sudden, light-bulb idea. Sesshomaru would ask Akiko! I mean, she wasn't bad looking. With the right outfit and make-up, she could possibly be a worthy date. Sesshomaru grinned at the thought and leaned back in his chair.

When Akiko had written down the final number of her answer, she capped the marker and marched back to her seat.

Uchiro-sensee looked over her work and smiled. "Wonderful" he cried, clapping his hands together. Then he went into a long explanation about exponents and the quadratic formula, at which time only the people worried about grades paid any attention.

After class when Uchiro had dismissed them, Sesshomaru approached Akiko. She was packing up her things and looking quite preoccupied. The sudden appearance of Sesshomaru in front of her made her jump, but she quickly regained her posture.

"Hey Akiko" Sesshomaru said anxiously, leaning against her desk.

Akiko blushed as she threw her backpack over her shoulders. It was obvious that she'd never been talked to by a guy before.

"Say, do you have a date for the dance coming up?" he asked.

"Who, me?" Akiko asked, bewildered.

"Yes you" Sesshomaru said, smiling in spite of her.

"Um…but I wasn't going to…I mean, I guess if it's…well, no" she finally answered, twisting her short black hair around a finger.

"Great! I don't either. We can go together."

Akiko had a look of pure shock, and soon her bottom lip began to quiver. A big fat tear squeezed out of her eye and dripped down her cheek. Sesshomaru didn't know what to say. He didn't think that by asking her out it would make her cry!

"Sesshomaru, are you picking on Akiko?" Uchiro-sensee asked from behind his desk.

"Uh, no sir" Sesshomaru replied quickly. He then grabbed Akiko by the wrist and pulled her out of the room hastily.

"What the heck are you doing?" he demanded as soon as the classroom door slammed shut. Akiko dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief, looking quite embarrassed.

"You should be happy! I want to date you!" Sesshomaru said forcefully.

"You…you mean that?" she said in between sniffles.

"Of course I do! I think you're the most beautiful nerd in the whole school."

The word slipped out of his mouth before he could stop himself. Sesshomaru braced himself for Akiko's reaction….but to his surprise, she looked pleased. Happy even. Akiko smiled widely and clasped his hand in hers.

"I accept" she said loudly, ignoring the weird glances that people gave her as they passed by in the hallway.

"Um…okay. Cool. Then I'll see you later" Sesshomaru said, plastering on a fake grin and pulling his hand out of her grasp. He turned swiftly and made a fast get-away, not bothering to look back even once. _I can't believe I just asked her to the dance! But what's sad is that the only girl I can get to say 'yes' is the biggest nerd in school_ Sesshomaru thought in dismay. As he was heading to music room for band, he ran right into Inuyasha.

"Hey, watch it!" Inuyasha snarled. Kagome was in his arms and it was obvious that they had been making out.

"You have lipstick on your face" Sesshomaru said, pointing.

Inuyasha flushed pink with embarrassment and Kagome wiped it off with a sleeve of her sweatshirt.

"Listen, you didn't see anything here, okay?" said Inuyasha. "If the principal found out we were doing this during school, he'd kill us."

Sesshomaru grinned devilishly. "Well, well, well. I guess I have something to hold against you now. Just don't piss me off and your secret is safe."

Inuyasha scowled, but nodded in agreement. He only had one more suspension to spare before getting expelled from Takatori High, and that would mean having to leave Kagome and all of his friends. Inuyasha most definitely did not want that.

"Goodbye puppy" Sesshomaru said mockingly, just to annoy his brother. With a final salute, he pushed past Inuyasha and walked through the doors to the music room. The sound of screeching trumpets and out of tune saxophones reached Sesshomaru's ears, and he cringed. Sometimes Sesshomaru got to thinking that he was the only one capable of playing anything right!

"Yo Sessho!" called Bankotsu from the back of the trumpet section. He sucked so bad that he got placed in last chair.

"Hey dude" Sesshomaru replied, making his way in between the stands and taking a seat behind Bankotsu next to a drum set.

"How's the chick searching going? Found anyone yet?" Bankotsu asked with curiosity.

"I think so."

"Awesome! So what does she look like?"

Sesshomaru picked up a pair of drum sticks and twirled them in his hands. "Oh, she looks like a really sexy babe. Nothing more, nothing less."

Bankotsu grinned. "That's the way to do it! See, I told you you'd find a cute girl someday."

"Yeah well…" Sesshomaru trailed off, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"Alright, let's get started on the first song" said Mr. Yamaguchi, the band teacher. He flipped through some music on his stand, then lifted his baton. The entire room went quiet as players waited for the signal to start blasting their instruments. Just as Mr. Yamaguchi was about to start the song, the music room door burst open. In came a beautiful girl with sleek black hair, a slender body and a nice ass…

"Kikyo…" Sesshomaru breathed.

Bankotsu's eyes bulged out of their sockets, and quite a few heads turned. Mr.Yamaguchi had an irritated look, but put down his baton all the same.

"And you are?" he asked briskly.

"Kikyo, sir" she responded, shifting the books in her arms.

"You must've just transferred in, because you're not on my roll sheet. Very well, just take a seat anywhere you like. But be aware that you'll have to come in at lunch with your instrument to audition for a permanent chair."

Kikyo nodded and scanned the classroom for a spot. Of course, there was an empty seat next to Sesshomaru, but she completely overlooked it. Instead, she sat down next to the first chair flute, Kairi.

"Okay. Again from the top…" Mr. Yamaguchi began.

As the rest of the class puffed up their cheeks and blew hard into their instruments, Sesshomaru was only half-heartedly jabbing at the cymbals, his thoughts astray. _I sure hope Akiko is enough to make Kikyo jealous! This may turn out to be harder than I thought…_


	5. A Dance Disaster

**Note: So sorry guys! I didn't update for such a long time because I was caught up in my other fanfic and I couldn't think of anything to write. I promise I'll try to update this one more.**

**Chapter 5**

Sesshomaru could feel sweat dripping down the back of his neck as he slid on his vampire costume. It was the night he had waited a month for, when everything would go down. Good or bad he had no prediction of. _I sure hope this works!_ He thought, hastily running a comb through his long hair. With utmost care and perfection he added the final touch to his costume: the white face paint. Fortunately he didn't have to spend money on plastic fangs, since he had natural ones that looked even better. As he stared into the bathroom mirror at the finished product, Inuyasha barged in wearing a full set of silver armor that clanked loudly as he walked. He looked utterly ridiculous.

"What the hell?" exclaimed Sesshomaru, gaping at Inuyasha.

"What, have you never seen a knight in shining armor?" Inuyasha shot back, straightening his helmet.

"None nearly as retarded looking as you" Sesshomaru snorted.

"Just shut your fat ass mouth. At least I'm not going as a blood-sucking freak of nature."

Sesshomaru grinned and turned his attention back to the mirror. Everything had to look perfect for the dance if Kikyo was going to be there. After flattening his hair and tying his cape, Sesshomaru left the bathroom and headed to the front door.

"I'm off to the dance mom! Be back late" Sesshomaru called, and then quickly shut the door behind him.

…………………………………

The school was glittering with lights and swarming with students, all hyped up and dressed in funky costumes for the dance. Sesshomaru got out of his car and walked to the front of the school to wait for his date, who had insisted she didn't want him to go out of his way to pick her up. As he was waiting, a sleek blue porsche pulled up and Muso got out, dressed as Elvis. He walked around to the passenger's side and opened the door. Kikyo emerged, looking absolutely stunning. Sesshomaru gulped, and he felt his heart thump painfully in his chest. She wore a tight black dress that cut off at her thighs to reveal the netted stockings that stretched all the way up her slender legs. On her back was a pair of black wings that sparkled in the moonlight. Muso took her hand and they walked past Sesshomaru to the double doors. Kikyo kept her eyes ahead, and didn't even so much as glance at Sesshomaru. _Man, she must really hate me_ he thought dismally.

"Um, Sesshomaru? Is that you?" came a voice.

Sesshomaru whirled around in surprise and found Akiko standing there, actually looking quite nice in her…_chicken outfit?_ Sesshomaru slapped himself in the face. No way was Kikyo going to get jealous over him dancing with poultry!

"Is there something wrong?" Akiko suddenly asked, getting tense. Her eyes were as wide as dinner plates.

"N-no! You look…absolutely fabulous! Down to every last feather" Sesshomaru lied through gritted teeth.

Akiko blushed and giggled. Sesshomaru hesitantly took her hand…er, wing, and strode inside to where all the commotion was taking place. The MPR was decorated eerily with orange and black lights, streamers, hanging bats and more. On stage was a rock band, playing their latest hits. Sesshomaru went up on tip-toes to try and spot Kikyo, but the dance floor was way too crowded. _I guess I'll just pretend she's not here and have fun…then maybe I'll wind up running into her_ he contemplated.

"Wanna dance?" he asked Akiko, who immediately nodded. "Ok, lets go."

It was an unusual sight to see a vampire and chicken dancing together, and many people around them began to snicker or stare. Sesshomaru could feel the redness creeping up into his cheeks, but he ignored it. Instead, he forced himself to look into Akiko's eyes and ignore the outer layer that made her look so stupid. She actually had very pretty eyes for a geek.

"Um…do you think we should be slow dancing during a heavy metal song?" she asked quietly.

The music suddenly came to Sesshomaru's attention and he hastily pulled away from Akiko. "Sorry…" he muttered. This was not going well at all. If he didn't spot Kikyo in the next hour or so, his entire plan would go down the drain (though Akiko being a chicken already kinda ruined it). "Hey, I'm gonna go get something to drink. Do you want anything?" Sesshomaru asked.

"Sure!" Akiko replied cheerfully. "I'll have whatever you're having."

Sesshomaru nodded and turned away, pushing through mobs of dancing students to the snack table. He poured himself a glass of fruit punch and then plopped down in a chair, not at all motivated to return to his date.

"Hey Sesshy" Bankotsu said behind the table. Sesshomaru looked up in surprise to see his friend there.

"Hey man" he replied half-heartedly. "Why aren't you dancing?"

Bankotsu grinned sheepishly. "I have to manage the food table. What about you? Weren't you gonna go with that one girl that transferred into our band class?"

Sesshomaru sighed and took another long sip of punch. "That was just wishful thinking, Bankotsu. The chances of me getting a date with her were as slim as winning the lottery."

"Aww…poor guy! Well, if you're not doing anything you could always hang out with me here and help out with the food" Bankotsu offered.

"Yeah, maybe I should…"

"Hey!" Akiko shouted behind Sesshomaru. Bankotsu took one look at her and burst out laughing.

"What are you doing here? I said I'd get you something" Sesshomaru snapped, not realizing how cranky he really sounded.

"Well I thought that…I mean, you were taking a long time and…I had this feeling that maybe you were with somebody else" Akiko stuttered.

"It's only been a frickin two minutes! Geez, can't you give a guy some slack?"

Bankotsu stared at them with a raised eyebrow. "The chicken is your date?" he asked, choking back another laugh.

Sesshomaru glared at him.

"Well dang! Sorry if I'm just a little surprised that someone like you would resort to that. I mean, I see what you were trying to do with her, but…"

"Trying to do with me?" Akiko repeated, her face beginning to turn white.

"Shoot! No, I didn't mean that…"

But it was too late. Bankotsu had let it slip that she was being used, and now Sesshomaru was going to lose his date.

"Akiko, let me explain…" Sesshomaru began. But Akiko's eyes were already full of tears and it was obvious that she had caught on.

"This was my first date…" she whimpered. "I thought a guy finally liked me…"

The guilt was heavy in Sesshomaru's chest, and he tried to put a hand on Akiko's shoulder. But she pulled away and began sobbing.

_Have I really become that despicable? _He thought.

"Akiko…" he began, but Akiko immediately silenced him with a slap. Bankotsu gaped in disbelief, and Sesshomaru was at a loss for words. That was the first time he had ever been slapped in his entire life…

"Oh god…I am so sorry…" Akiko said tearfully, in between sniffs. "I just…" but she couldn't finish her sentence and ran away towards the girl's bathroom crying.

Sesshomaru watched her go, his face burning where her hand had made contact. _Now everyone hates me _he thought grimly._ I'll never get Kikyo…_


	6. The Truth Hurts

Chapter 6 

"Hey, I'm really sorry about your date…" Bankotsu began, but Sesshomaru got up before he could finish.

_I guess I should go apologize to Akiko…using her was such a bad idea _Sesshomaru thought glumly. He headed in the direction of the bathrooms, following a small trail of yellow feathers. Upon reaching the door to the girl's restroom, he stood still and waited for her to come out. Minutes passed, yet there was no Akiko. Then Sesshomaru put his ear to the door, and heard sniffling inside. Obviously it was going to take her a while to get herself together and leave the safe haven of the bathroom.

"Um, excuse me," said a random girl, poking Sesshomaru's shoulder. Embarrassed, he moved out of the way so the girl could get in. As the door opened, he got a glimpse inside and saw Akiko in front of the mirror, surrounded by crumpled up paper towels, her eyes red and puffy. Then the door slammed shut in his face.

"Damn it" Sesshomaru muttered in frustration. Suddenly he felt a hand grip his arm and turn him around. He found himself looking straight into the face of Kagura, dressed up in a surprisingly sexy feline costume.

"You look a little down in the dumps. How 'bout a dance?" she asked innocently, already tugging him towards the dance floor.

Sesshomaru was in such a huff and totally overwhelmed with thoughts that he didn't have time to object. Before he knew it they were pressed against each other in an intimate embrace, slow dancing to a love ballad. Kagura's body was warm against his, and her presence felt almost soothing after losing a date. They rocked side to side until the song had ended, at which point they broke apart slightly, and Kagura closed in on Sesshomaru's lips. It took him a couple seconds to realize what was happening, and when he finally began thinking straight he pushed Kagura away forcefully.

"What the hell are you doing?" he said angrily.

People around them turned their heads, casting weird glances at them. Kagura looked a little surprised at first, but then her expression turned back to normal and she smirked. "Poor guy can't take a little heat," she said calmly, examining her nails.

"What, you think you can just come up to random guys and kiss them after one dance? You're crazy!" Sesshomaru snapped.

"At least I make a move" Kagura said, pulling her cheetah print leotard sleeves lower to reveal her bare shoulders. Then she casually walked off, and no sooner had she left Sesshomaru, she was hanging off another guy, Naraku to be specific. Sesshomaru rolled his eyes in disgust and stalked off through the crowd. He wasn't really in the mood to be at this stupid dance anymore. He was tired of being dumped, tired of dancing, tired of the stupid music blaring on stage and the colorfully shining, blinking lights that seemed to have gotten ten times brighter. All he wanted to do was relieve his weary self and doze off on the couch at home. Sesshomaru checked his watch…it was 9 o'clock. _About time I left anyways _he thought dismally. With that final thought, he made a hasty exit. Rain was pouring from the sky, immediately soaking Sesshomaru's cape and matting his long hair. _Great…just great. If you're trying to tell me something God, I get it!_ He headed for his car, which he had parked right under a tree close to the school. But there was no car. In its place was a big blue van, it's windows and doors covered in grime. Sesshomaru stared at it for the longest time, still absorbing the fact that his car was gone. Then he looked up at the sky, the raindrops falling into his eyes. The world officially hated him. He had been ditched by two girls, stared at, lost his chance at ever hooking up with Kikyo, and gotten his car stolen all in one night. Sesshomaru backed up from the van and began walking home through the parking lot. The rain just kept coming down, and he tried to imagine he was at home taking a warm shower, except that the water wasn't warm and he was wearing clothes. Sesshomaru reached the end of the street and then turned onto another, vowing that he would never go to another dance ever again. As he shuffled up Main Street, the town park became visible. Sesshomaru was about to pass by it without a care, until he happened to take a glance and notice a solitary figure sitting on one of the swings. Peaking Sesshomaru's curiosity, he headed over to the park. As he approached, the figure came more into focus, and he realized it was a girl with large black wings strapped to her back, now drooping from the weight of the pouring rain. When Sesshomaru was within an arm's distance away, the girl turned her long black haired head. Sesshomaru almost choked on his own spit. Kikyo was looking up at him, with one of the most depressed looks he had ever seen on her pale face. Her usual smooth and slender features were lost, and instead she had an overall look of raggedness. Sesshomaru wasn't sure if he should talk try to hook up with her after acting like such a bastard to do so…maybe he just didn't deserve her…

"You shouldn't be out in the rain…you'll catch a cold" Sesshomaru informed, which was the first thing that came to mind to break the odd silence.

Kikyo didn't move, or say anything for that matter. She just kept her eyes locked on to Sesshomaru's face, tears beginning to well up inside of them, eventually overflowing and streaming like rivers down her cheeks. Sesshomaru didn't know what to say or think…he wanted to comfort her, but he knew it would seem too forward of him and Muso would probably get angry…

"I'm such a loser" she whispered hoarsely.

Her hair was hanging down over her face in clumps, unlike the usual perfectly straight hair Sesshomaru saw at school. Tired of standing, he sat himself in the next swing.

"You're not a loser" he said firmly, staring straight at her. He was surprised at how strongly the words came out of his mouth; as though he were protecting her self-esteem.

The ends of Kikyo's lips turned up slightly, like she was trying to smile but some outside force was pushing it down. Sesshomaru just didn't understand why she looked so sorrowful, but he pushed the thought out of his head when Kikyo parted her lips and began to speak.

"I…I'm so sorry, Sesshomaru" she said in harsh whispers. That was the first time she had ever spoken Sesshomaru's name before. It surprised him, and veered his gaze to the ground where his feet made small circles in the sand. "I've been such a bitch to you, and it's all my own stupid fault."

"What are you talking about?" Sesshomaru responded, confused.

"I just….it's my family" Kikyo said, her voice beginning to gain strength. "My dad got out of jail and is now a living nightmare. It's like he lives to make my life hell! Every day he throws these huge tempers, and yells at me for things that I don't even do." Explanations were pouring out of Kikyo's mouth, almost too fast for Sesshomaru to follow. "My mom is too stoned to even do anything about it, so I have to rush out of the house first thing in the morning and stay out until daylight is gone. I saw you that one day when you approached me, and I freaked out inside….you were so handsome…" Kikyo trailed off.

Sesshomaru's heart was pounding as fast as the raindrops hitting sand. All this time he had totally wrong ideas about her…

"…I knew my dad would kill me if he knew I had a boyfriend, so I had to try and avoid you and stop you from liking me. It was so hard because deep down, I just wanted to be with you, but I couldn't and every night I would cry in my room while my parents screamed at each other downstairs…"

Sesshomaru felt his broken hear aching, and without caring what other people would think, he got up off the swing and pulled Kikyo up into a tight embrace.

"I'm sorry" he said, his voice a little muffled.

Kikyo buried her face in Sesshomaru's chest, the feeling of his arms around her more comforting than anything she had ever felt. She tightened her own grip around his neck and the two of them stood silently in the stormy rain, in the middle of a park, getting soaked from head to toe, not caring about anything but each other.


	7. Not So Picture Perfect

**Chapter 7**

Sesshomaru entered his house, trailing pools of water behind him. His mind was racing, but his body couldn't keep up. He was too tired to do anything, so he went straight up to his room and shed himself of the wet vampire costume that stuck to him. Putting on a pair of fresh clothes, he plopped down on his bed and closed his eyes. He was asleep within seconds, his mind reverting back to the park…

"_I'll walk you home" Sesshomaru said._

_Kikyo clung to him, not wanting to leave the comfort of his presence. "Please don't let go," she said into his shirt._

"_Kikyo…."_

_They stood in their embrace a while longer, then Sesshomaru pulled away and took her hand in his. Kikyo smiled, but this time there was no black cloud looming over her head. Her smile was completely sincere, and for once Kikyo was truly happy. They began to walk, side by side, out of the park and down the street. The showering rain began to fade, and the fat droplets of water turned into light sprinkles. Soon they were standing in front of a small brick house in one of the older areas of town. It was Kikyo's home. _

"_I wish you didn't have to leave" Kikyo said, keeping a tight grip on Sesshomaru's hand._

"_Well I don't like the thought of leaving you here with those violent parents of yours either, but what else is there to do?"_

"_I guess you're right" Kikyo replied solemnly, glancing at the house looming in front of her as though entering it was a death sentence._

_Momentarily captured by Kikyo's beauty, Sesshomaru took her delicate face in his hands and kissed her lips gently, and Kikyo's eyes closed in response. Then he pulled away, almost too soon for Kikyo's liking. _

"_You should get some rest," Sesshomaru said, nudging Kikyo in the direction of her front door._

_Kikyo was hesitant to comply, but eventually gave in and reluctantly moved out of Sesshomaru's grasp. He watched her enter her house, and right before shutting the door she blew him a kiss. Sesshomaru grinned and turned away…_

Sunshine was pouring in through Sesshomaru's bedroom window, casting rays of light across his bed. The brightness woke him, and he lay staring at the ceiling for a while. All of last night felt like it was a dream, and he wasn't sure that it had actually happened. But as soon as he got to school, it was confirmed.

"Sesshomaru! Wait up!" Kikyo called to him, her skirt flying up in the wind as she ran. Her hair was swinging wildly and she looked completely back to her normal self. She finally caught up to him and slid her hand into his. "Hi" she said, panting a little.

Sesshomaru grinned at her. He couldn't help it. She was so pretty, and they could finally be together, seen in public…_oh my god! I didn't even think about what other people's reactions would be when they saw me and Kikyo together _Sesshomaru thought as the realization struck him. But he decided to ignore that fact, since nothing could really go wrong, right?

"I thought about you all night" Kikyo said, smiling.

"I thought about you too" Sesshomaru replied, opening the door to the front of the school for Kikyo, then entering after her. The school was jam-packed with students as usual, chatting and heading off to first period. Some people stared as Kikyo and Sesshomaru walked down the hall past them, surprised that they were hand-in-hand. Then the couple turned a corner, and ran straight into Muso.

"Oh…" Kikyo breathed, her date from the dance staring at her with a guy other than him. She immediately dropped Sesshomaru's hand. "…hello Muso" she finished hesitantly.

Muso looked from Kikyo to Sesshomaru, then back again. "Something going on?" he asked, a look of deep suspicion on his face.

"No, not at all" Sesshomaru said quickly, trying to dismiss the topic and get away as fast as possible. But Kikyo had other intentions.

"Actually" she began, stepping forward. "I've found my true feelings, and they lie with this guy right here."

_What the hell is she doing?_ Sesshomaru swore in his head. _She's being so forward about this…Muso is gonna hate me forever…_

Muso blinked a couple times, obviously not quite processing this information. "Excuse me, I have to get to class early" he said, totally ignoring the news that would send most guys bawling in the opposite direction. "See you later." Then he walked past, avoiding eye contact with both Kikyo and Sesshomaru.

Kikyo frowned, bemused by Muso's reaction. "I thought he'd be devastated! Huh…he's a tougher guy than I thought."

"Yeah, apparently" Sesshomaru agreed. "But why'd you have to just blurt it out? I mean you went to the dance with him just last night."

"Well maybe I'm not the type of person to lie."

"But you didn't have to! All you needed to do was smile and say we were talking, that's it. Technically it's the truth, just not the entire truth."

Kikyo took Sesshomaru's hand and began walking again. "I never liked him in the first place. I'd rather not lead him into thinking that we were starting a relationship…actually, it was pretty cruel of me to use him that way, but what's done is done, you know?"

"Yeah, but he's my friend and I'd rather not dash his feelings" Sesshomaru said.

They pushed passed swarms of teenagers, all crowding up the hallways and bringing the noise to an almost deafening level. Kikyo stopped at her locker and turned the lock, putting in her combination. There was a click, and then she opened the small door, shoving books inside. Sesshomaru looked over her shoulder at the inside of her locker, which was covered with pictures and magnets. One particular photo caught his eye. "Who's he?" Sesshomaru asked curiously, pointing.

Kikyo glanced at the photo. "Oh, that's my older brother Yukihiro" she said.

Sesshomaru looked more closely at the dark haired kid, who seemed to be about 10 years old when the picture was taken. "I didn't know you had any siblings" he said.

"Yeah, well Yukihiro moved out of the house as soon as he turned 18, and hasn't come visit us or told us where he went. He would always complain to me about our parents and how badly he wanted to run away, and I would be the one to convince him not to. My parents didn't even care when he left and never heard from him again…since when do they care about anything…" Kikyo said, slamming the locker door.

"Oh, I'm sorry" Sesshomaru responded quietly, regretting ever asking about him.

"It's okay" Kikyo reassured him, throwing her book bag over a shoulder. "Older brothers are just nuisances to have around. I'm actually kind of glad that he's gone."

Before Sesshomaru could start pondering whether this was how Inuyasha felt about him as an older brother, the 2-minute bell rang. "Oh crap, we better get to class" he said. They split off in their opposite directions, Sesshomaru heading to Photography and Kikyo to AP Government. Sesshomaru entered the classroom and slipped into his seat just in time to hear the final bell ring.

"Class, we have a new student joining us" said Akira-sensee, motioning to the peculiar looking adolescent boy standing to his right. He had long blue stripes down his face like a clown, and his black hair was pulled up in a messy ponytail.

_We are getting so many new students this year…_Sesshomaru thought.

"My name is Jakotsu. Nice to meet you all" said the guy, bowing deeply.

"Nice to meet you Jakotsu" the class responded in unison.

"Let's see…ah, there is an empty desk behind Sesshomaru" Akira said. Sesshomaru, could you please raise your hand so Jakotsu knows where to sit?"

Sesshomaru held up a hand lazily, and upon spotting him, Jakotsu grinned widely. He walked over to his desk, staring at Sesshomaru with wide eyes the entire time. As he passed by him, Jakotsu whispered, "hey there handsome."

Sesshomaru did a double take. Did he just hear what he thought he heard?

"Today's assignment is to go out and shoot black and white photos of anything related to nature. You are allowed outside, but do not leave the school campus," said Akira-sensee. As soon as he finished laying down the rules and guidelines for the assignment, everyone got up and began to disperse. Sesshomaru got up and walked to the front of the room to get a digital camera, and Jakotsu followed right behind, making him feel very awkward. As Sesshomaru reached for a camera, Jakotsu reached for the same one, and their hands touched.

"Excuse me…" Sesshomaru said, retracting his hand.

Jakotsu smiled deeply, looking straight into Sesshomaru's eyes. "You are just too cute" he said.

_Okay, this dude is officially creeping me out _Sesshomaru thought. He half-heartedly smiled back at Jakotsu, then grabbed another camera and walked away hastily. The rest of the class period he spent snapping pictures of random things outside, like trees and flowers and such. When he re-entered the classroom, he was relieved to see that Jakotsu was not there. _He must still be outside taking pictures_ Sesshomaru thought with a sigh. He went to a computer and began uploading all the pictures he had just taken. As he looked over the first one, he immediately spotted Jakotsu's head, protruding slightly from behind a tree trunk. _What the hell?_ Sesshomaru clicked the next picture, and what do you know! There was Jakotsu again, except this time his leg was visible off to the side. Sesshomaru clicked picture after picture, each time finding some part of Jakotsu present. _How the hell did he manage to do that without me noticing him? _Sesshomaru wondered with frustration. There was no way he could turn in any of those photos when Jakotsu was in all of them.

"The bell is about to ring, so I'm going to need your cameras" Akira-sensee said.

Sesshomaru smacked himself in the forehead. He was going to have to re-do the whole thing! _Stupid new kid…_


	8. Suspicions

**Chapter 8**

"I'm so happy! I aced my math test!" Kikyo said excitedly at lunch.

"Nice" Sesshomaru replied, trying his best to sound positive despite the fact that he was failing his math class. He stuck his chopsticks into his tray and began shoveling rice into his mouth. The whole Jakotsu thing was still bugging him.

"It was so weird too, because I didn't have time to study and I forgot to write notes…god must really like me," Kikyo continued in a chatty tone. She suddenly stopped talking and looked Sesshomaru in the face. "What's the matter? You seem a little out of it."

"Uh…it's nothing" Sesshomaru lied. "Just hate Mondays, that's all."

"Oh. Well anyways…"

As Kikyo blabbed on about grades and school, Sesshomaru stared across the cafeteria and noticed Jaken whispering to some of his other friends and pointing at him from the table where Sesshomaru used to sit. Then he saw Jaken get up and head towards him and Kikyo.

"…so with three AP classes, I'll probably be able to sustain my 4.0 GPA, assuming I get an 'A' in each--"

"Hey Sesshy" Jaken said, interrupting Kikyo. He took a seat next to his old buddy and grinned. "When were you going to introduce me to your new girlfriend, huh?"

Sesshomaru felt a blush creep up onto his cheeks. "Um…Kikyo, this is my good friend Jaken. Jaken, this is Kikyo."

"Pleasure to meet you Kikyo" Jaken said, shaking her hand. "You sure are pretty."

"I know" Kikyo said, smiling.

Jaken chuckled, then leaned in towards Sesshomaru. "How'd you finally win her heart?" he whispered into his friend's ear. "She rejected you the first time, didn't she?"

"Oh, I have my ways" Sesshomaru whispered back, not wanting to re-tell the entire story of how they hooked up.

"What are you boys talking about that you have to whisper?" Kikyo asked.

"Nothing" Jaken replied simply. "Hey Sesshy, you and Kikyo are welcome to sit with us if you'd like."

Sesshomaru looked over at Kikyo then back at Jaken. "Nah, we'll just hang out here. But thanks for offering."

"I see…wanna be alone with the chick, eh? Well, see ya later then. I always have my cell on, so feel free to give me a holla."

Sesshomaru nodded, and after doing the handshake that guys often did, Jaken returned to the other table.

"That friend of yours is quite charming" Kikyo commented, taking a bite out of her turkey and cheese sandwich.

"Yeah, he's one of a kind" Sesshomaru replied, starting to gather up his things.

"You're leaving?"

"Um…yeah, I have to go. See you after school" Sesshomaru said, leaning across the table to kiss Kikyo's cheek.

She smiled and watched him go, wondering what could suddenly cause him to leave with such haste. Sesshomaru headed out of the cafeteria and down a corridor, not exactly sure why he felt the need to leave. Maybe being with Kikyo was overwhelming him a bit. He had fantasized about this ever since Kikyo transferred to the high school, and now that he had her it just wasn't the same. All of a sudden his thoughts were interrupted, because Jakotsu had popped in out of nowhere (he was getting good at that).

"Where are you going, handsome?" he asked in his girly voice. His face was right in front of Sesshomaru's, a little too close…

"Just…somewhere. I dunno" Sesshomaru mumbled, trying to push past the love-struck boy.

"Mmm, I suspect that someone needs a hug" Jakotsu said, moving into his path and almost stepping on Sesshomaru's feet.

Sesshomaru, about to trip, instinctively grabbed Jakotsu for support and immediately regretted it. Jakotsu blushed slightly and took Sesshomaru's hands in his own. His eyes glittered. Disgusted, Sesshomaru pulled his hands away from Jakotsu roughly and shoved past him.

"You'll miss me!" Jakotsu shouted behind him. "No one can last long without some love! Someday you'll come crying to me, wishing me to take you back…"

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes. The guy had totally lost his mind. He walked into his next class, finding the room quite empty. But as he took a seat, he realized that someone else was there that he never expected to see…Akiko. She had her binder out and was furiously scribbling down notes, obviously getting a head start like she always did. Sesshomaru eyed her wearily, taking out his own stuff and pretending to work. But he just couldn't concentrate. He couldn't help but notice Akiko's slumped form and sleep-deprived eyes. She just wasn't herself, and Sesshomaru knew that it was his fault. _I should go apologize _he thought, getting up. He strode over casually, just as he did after class when he asked her to the dance. Akiko didn't seem to notice him, or if she did she was purposely ignoring him.

"Um…hey" Sesshomaru said.

Akiko squinted at her paper for a few seconds, said "Aha!" and wrote something down, not paying any attention to the guy standing right in front of her desk.

"Look Akiko, I know you're mad at me, ok? I came to apologize" Sesshomaru continued, hoping she would quit her act and listen. Amazingly, she did. Akiko put down her pencil and looked up at him, her eyebrows still furrowed from concentrating so hard.

"I just want to say that I'm really sorry about last night. I acted like a complete jerk, using you like that. I won't lie to you—there was a hot chick I was trying to make jealous, and I couldn't find any other girl that would go with me to the dance. You were the only one that accepted" Sesshomaru blurted out all at once, wanting to get everything off his chest. "I didn't expect you to find out about my plan, but you did and it was completely wrong of me. Whether or not you realized it shouldn't have mattered, because either way I was being an ass. I want to be friends with you. You're really a sweet person, and I think we should start fresh. What do you say? Do you forgive me?" he asked, staring at Akiko for a response, or any reaction at all.

Akiko reached up and pulled earphones out of her ears. Sesshomaru's heart dropped. _She didn't hear anything I said!_

Then she neatly put away her binder, pencil, and loose paper, put on her backpack and walked out of the room without a word. Sesshomaru just stood there, staring blankly at an empty seat. He had no idea how angry he had made her! He was so bad at judging women's feelings.

"What did you do to her this time?" came Uchiro-sensee's voice.

Sesshomaru turned around to face his math teacher. "I didn't mean to…I mean, I didn't think my actions would have this kind of effect!"

"Tsk tsk! Guys never think before they act" said Uchiro-sensee. "Now I'm no counselor, but I am a guy too and I've had similar experiences. So here's a little advice. First of all, women are very sensitive. So never say something to a girl that you wouldn't say to your mom. Secondly, they are very hard to predict. Just go with the flow of things, and if you sense danger then back away. Don't get lured into a false sense of security just because the girl is 'hot', or whatever guys these days refer to them as. This is just my advice, and you can choose whether to accept it or not. I'm sure you've gotten imput about such things from others as well, whether they be your parents or friends."

"You should be a counselor" Sesshomaru said. "You're so good at it."

"You know, maybe when I'm old and retired I'll become one" Uchiro-sensee chuckled. "So, I'm guessing this had something to do with last Friday's dance?"

Sesshomaru nodded.

"High school is full of hook-ups and break-ups. Just expect the worst and trust me, you'll live through it."

Suddenly bell rang, and students slowly began filing into the room.

"Thanks for the advice" Sesshomaru said with a smile, then returned to his seat.

The rest of the day went by quite fast, and already the last bell of the day was heard. Sesshomaru walked out the double doors to the front of the school and was heading to the parking lot when he remembered that his car had been stolen the other night. _Oh yeah_ he thought dismally. He changed directions and headed to the bike racks instead, where he had locked up his bike. On the way he spotted Kikyo, sitting on the curb, waiting for someone.

"Kikyo!" Sesshomaru called, waving at her as he approached.

Kikyo stood up and strode over to him. "You'd better explain yourself, buddy" she said sternly.

Sesshomaru looked at her quizically. "What did I do?"

"You know exactly what you did. Don't try and deny it! You ditched me at lunch to be with someone else!"

The realization of Jakotsu clinging to him at lunch struck like a thunderbolt. _Shit! She saw that?_

"You look surprised. Did you think I was just going to let you go without figuring out why you were leaving so suddenly?" Kikyo questioned.

"It wasn't what it looked like!" Sesshomaru said hastily, not wanting Kikyo getting the wrong idea. "I don't even know that guy. He's just some weirdo that has an unhealthy obsession with other people. I swear, it's nothing!"

Kikyo eyed him suspiciously. "If you're lying to me, I'll kick your ass."

"I'm not! Seriously" Sesshomaru insisted.

But Kikyo still didn't look satisfied. "Prove it" she stated bluntly.

Sesshomaru grinned sheepishly. _Uhhh…prove it? _For a few moments he just stood there like an idiot staring into Kikyo's face. Then suddenly it became obvious what she wanted. _Duh! Why didn't I think of that in the first place? _Sesshomaru thought, internally smacking himself. He took Kikyo's head in his hands and kissed her. Kikyo responded by wrapping her arms around Sesshomaru's neck, kissing back passionately. He knew that was what she wanted. Their embrace tightened, and Sesshomaru's hands made their way to Kikyo's hair. They had created their own little bubble, isolating them from the rest of the world. Neither wanted the moment to end.


End file.
